Writer

How to Stay Motivated

Motivation fuels your inner fire. Motivation leads to taking the first steps towards an accomplishment. But what do you do when you’ve hit that wall and find it hard to keep going?

1.) Think happy thoughts. It sounds childish, but it works. Dwelling on the negatives will only exacerbate the problem. Don’t think about how tired you are. Don’t think about how frustrated you feel. Think about why you set that goal to begin with. Imagine yourself accomplishing the goal.

2.) Follow happy people. We all have those Facebook friends whose posts are almost always negative. Hide them from your newsfeed. Negativity is contagious, and you don’t want to fall into the tar pit of negativity. Follow people and pages you admire. Create a Pinterest board with inspirational quotes. Put together a Twitter list of motivational speakers or celebrities. Whenever you feel down, refer back to those sources for help. (I’ve created a Pinterest board Inspiration specifically for this. Feel free to repin.) I’m not saying to abandon friends and family who are negative, but you’ll need to learn ways to let them be themselves without being dragged down. Let people vent, and offer a positive spin. Be the person who spreads the positivity around you. Don’t fan the flames of negativity.

3.) Do something fun. You may be lacking motivation because you’re experiencing burn out. When was the last time you had YOU time? Rent a movie. Go to happy hour with your friends (not acquaintances). Do something that makes you laugh. Everybody needs some time to themselves to relax and refresh.

4.) Journal. Take a moment every day to reflect on what’s going on. How are you doing emotionally? What is your body telling you? Write down things you accomplished during the day. Count your blessings. We all have something to be grateful for.